Host of hot programmes for BBC

CRACKING US UP

WHEN it comes to churning out those comedies, nobody does it better than the British with their dry and rib-tickling humour, Mr Bean, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, BlackAdder, Fawlty Towers and The Office being among the leading comedies that have earned a cult following around the globe.

This time around, BBC Entertainment has two offerings that are bound to leave viewers chuckling at the comic anarchy unfolding.

First up is Spy, which is centred on a single father, Tim, who is actually working for MI5, trying to retain a modicum of hero status with his opinionated little son Marcus, who thinks he is a deadbeat in a dead-end job. Spy airs on July 17 at 8pm. Then there is The Royal Bodyguard (June 5 at 8pm), which revolves around Captain Guy Hubble, an ex-guardsman who, after saving the Queen’s life, finds himself in the envious position of Head of Security at Buckingham Palace car park.

However, his appointment is far from saluted by everyone because he is… well, a bumbling idiot who seems to attract a succession of mishaps – and still keeps his job.

The build-up to the Olympics proved to be the catalyst in the side-splitting mockumentary, Twenty Twelve (June 5 at 10pm). It stars Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville as the head of an Olympic Deliverance team, who work behind the scenes to ensure the event is a beacon of success for Britain.

A KILLER LINE-UP

GIVEN the success of Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect, two new crime-fighting heroines emerge in Scott and Bailey, which starts on BBC Entertainment in October.

The female protagonists in the crime drama are Suranne Jones as Detective Constable Rachel Bailey and Lesley Sharp as Detective Constable Janet Scott, who work for Manchester Metropolitan Police’s Murder Investigation Team.

Apart from their tenacious efforts in solving the grisly murders they investigate, their personal lives, with Bailey dealing with the woes of being 30 and single and Scott juggling work with parenting two teenager daughters, see their fallible characters resonate strongly with viewers.

TASTY TREATS

COOKING shows have a gargantuan following across the globe. And BBC Lifestyle caters for viewers’ insatiable appetites with a smorgasbord of shows like Baking Made Easy with Lorraine Pascale and The Great British Bake Off.

Baking Made Easy features Pascale, a former catwalk queen, who decided to quit vamping it up on the ramp in favour of honing her baking skills. A qualified chef, baker and pâtissier, she makes baking look so easy that viewers will be lulled into believing they can bake like a professional in the kitchen.

Even better, she offers a twist on some of the classic sweet treats.

The Great British Bake Off, which starts in September, looks at 10 home bakers who are put through their paces in a plethora of challenges. While some hopefuls are able to rise to the challenge, others burn out before the oven timer.

LET’S GET REAL

THE talk of the TV industry right now is the Bafta award-winning reality series, The Only Way is Essex, which starts on BBC Entertainment on June 7.

Plunging viewers into a world of fake boobs, eyelashes and claw-like nails that complement their cattiness – not forgetting those eyesore orange tans – this show and its stereotypical characters make for addictive viewing.

It follows the lives, loves and troubles of a group of 20-somethings as they navigate their way around work and partying in and around Essex.

Diehard Jerseylicious fans or those who revelled in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding will be singing the praises of this new offering.

Keeping with the über-bitchy tone is Four Weddings, which sees four brides-to-be trying to outdo each other to win the grand prize – a five-star dream honeymoon.

Tears flow – but it isn’t all from happiness. This series starts in June on BBC Lifestyle.

A WELCOME COMEBACK

THE second season of the sterling period saga Downton Abbey returns to BBC Entertainment on July 8 at 8.30pm. This time around, the storyline looks at the ripple effect the Great War (World War I) has in the Crawley household.

Other than the painstaking attention to detail from the set to the wardrobe – the writing, brought to life by a brilliant cast headed by Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Maggie Smith, is stellar.

Also billed for the channel is season two of Come Dine With Me South Africa this September. Expect an array of more interesting contestants who bring their cultural diversity and traditional cuisines to the party.

Always a favourite with viewers, Jamie Oliver is back with Jamie’s Great Britain on BBC Lifestyle this June. As the title suggests, the celebrity chef travels the length and breadth of Britain’s countryside in search of inspiration for new recipes while adding a dollop of freshness to spice up old favourites.

KIDS’ PLAY

CBEEBIES’ quest to engage the inquiring minds of little ones has borne fruit with Andy’s Wild Adventures, starring Andy Day and his sidekick, Kip the Cat, as they explore wildlife in more enlightening detail. The series boasts recordings from BBC’s Natural History unit combined with hi-tech CGI footage.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

OTHER than myriad programming around the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the spotlight falls on The Beatles (Beatles – From Liverpool to San Francisco, June 3 at 10pm), Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones – Truth and Lies, June 19 at 10pm), Margaret Thatcher (Margaret, July 22 at 9pm) and Jack the Ripper (Jack the Ripper: Prime Suspect, June 25 at 9pm) on BBC Knowledge.

RACE IS ON

GIVEN the global interest in the Olympics 2012, BBC World News has put together a team to cover the games behind the scenes and breaking news events.

Among the channel’s other highlights are: Scotland’s Big Noise (June 16 and 17), which looks at how music and the cultural Olympiad has been helping change lives in one of the UK’s poorest housing estates; and, Globe to Globe (June 23 and 25), which hones in on the Shakespearean productions playing out in the build-up to the Olympics.

• With a line-up that caters for every TV buff, be sure to diarise your favourites across the BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Knowledge, BBC News and CBeebies channels.

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